23
Oct
2007
Simple and Clean
Imagine if you could make a credit union web site as simple (and gorgeous) as Snooth. A real simple home banking login in the top right corner, and the massive search box in the middle. Some CU’s are using virtual assistants (like Julie at Coast Capital) and some CU’s are using voice recognition for telephone banking. Why not take that concept to your website with a search box? Your members could search for locations or open new account or history or CEO and hopefully find what they are looking for. Snooth even has, "Can I see some examples" to help those out who would have a hard time using a search box to find what they are looking for. I’m by no means a web design pro, but this seems like it would make a killer CU site!
I do love how smooth and simple that site looks, though I think it could only go so far in the CU world. Could it work as an aside to a CU website? Yes. Could it replace a CU’s main website? I don’t think so.
I love how the CU-industry is embracing the next generation of Internet users and the ways they navigate, but there is still going to be a need for the standard-type website. I see a “Snooth” modeled website working in the capacity of a site that educates users about CUs or maybe even as a product guide for a CU, but it would still be something that would be in addition to the main website.
It’s this simple:
-> [ I HAVE MONEY ]™ – Help me figure out what to do with it.
-> [ I NEED MONEY ]™ – Help me figure out how to get some.
For all the talk about products, services and innovation… people looking for financial services fall into one of those two categories.
I completely agree with Robbie and disagree with Mike… there is no reason why a credit union web site can’t be designed to be elegant, uncluttered, and easy to navigate. We kept Henrico FCU’s site pretty clean: http://www.henricofcu.org/
JP –
I’ll go you one step simpler. Here’s what the site needs to say:
________________________________________________
What do you want to do? ____________________
(If you’re not sure, say “Not sure”, and we’ll make some suggestions!)
________________________________________________
And I BET you a lot of people would type in “not sure” just to see what comes up
I’m with you Ron! It could be that simple….
I don’t want my comment misinterpreted. I think the Henrico website does a great job of being clean and functional. In fact, I love websites that are uncluttered and clean and easy to use. I just don’t think something as simplistic as Snooth (merely a search bar) would suffice as a CU’s main website. That was my point.
Two words.
live.chat.
Oh, and the home banking log in.
That’s all we need.
Case in point for simple and clean??? GOOGLE
Darn straight!
Getting away from simple and clean. Why couldn’t you design the home banking system so that it functioned like your google, msn, or aol homepage? Give accessability to user defined content so that they are using your site instead of having them access your sites information and routing it to someone other vendors homepage! I know there would be many security nightmares, but there ought to be a way! OSCU are you listening?
I love Jeffery’s idea — it reminds me of a presentation I saw some years back by the (amazing! and really tall!) Jeff Veen. He spent some time talking about the USDA “HayNet” site, and its Need Hay/Got Hay navigation.
* http://www.idblog.org/archives/000247.html
* http://www.flickr.com/photos/janbrasna/248156219/
I’m so inspired that I’m actually doing some sketching right now….
Go Elanie! I’d love to see a CU do something like that with their site! And it was great getting to meet you a few weeks ago!